Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-02-09
The Associated Press Spreads ITSELF
in Reporting . Disaster in Far
on Vermont.
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
Part OF q Railroad Train Take . Plunge
Of Fifty Feet

also reported to be large. Conductor Stur
tevant was fatally injured. The accident
occurred between 1 and 2 o'clock this
morning, on the Central Vermont road.
SIXTEEN
Troy, N. Y, February Sit is reported
here that sixteen persons were killed by the
accident last night on the Vermont Central
Railroad, near White River Junction.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, February 6.-The
accident to the Montreal express 1T Wood
stock bridge assumes frightful proportions
as further particulars are learned. The
trains the Boston and Montreal ex-
press on tho Vermont Central railroad,
which made connectionsa a. White River
Junction with the Montreal express from
Springfield, taking on one sleeping car and
one passenger coach from the latter train.
One Frank Wesson, son OF D.. B.. Wesson,
OF this city, OF the firm OF Smith d Wesson,
pistol manufacturers, was killed, and IL is
reported that the loss OF life il large.
The train consisted OF one sleeping and
passenger coach from here, one Chicago
sleeping car connected at White River
Junction, one Boston sleeping car, one
mail car from Boston, one other passenger
coach, one baggage and one express car.
There are rumors that fifty lives were lost.
Frank L. Wesson, who was killed, is
about IS years OF age and leaves q vile
and four children. He was q brother-in-
law OF John w. Lowell, the New York pub
Usher. Latest reports received here state
that the number OF killed reaches twenty,
and that about 81 many moro were in
iured.
SIXTY FEET INTO THE RIVER.
BRADFORD, VT, February 5.-The night
express which left White River Junction,
bound for Montreal, and filed with passen-
gers from Boston and New York for the
carnival, wal wrecked at the FIRST crossing
OF white river. A rail broke and the engine,
one baggage car, W passenger coaches
and two sleeping cars plunged over the
bridge, sixty feet into tho river. Before
the engineer or any ono else could get to
the wreck, tho cars had caught fire and
burned: the bridge also wal burned, and
inside OF twenty minutes all were destroyed.
It is estimated that fifty persons were
killed. Henry Tu1bury, Of West Randolph,
Vermont, a w~ell.known lecturer, is among
those killed. Edward F. Dillon, OF Spring
field, Vermont, was killed. He wa a meni-
Der OF the sophomore class at Dartmouth
and pitcher for the University nine.
STILL ANOTHER REPORT.
CONCORD. N. H., February 5.-The OK
last night met with a terrible accident near
Woodstock, on the Central Vermont rail-
road, at about $50 o'clock this morning.
The train started from this city on time,
but was detained at White River Junction,
so it was about an hour and q hall late
when it left there. 1t consisted OF q loco.
motive, baggage car. postal car, two pas.
was running at the usual rate OF speed.
When about 200 yards south OF the end
OF the Deck bridge, near Old Windsor sta.
ton, a broken rail was struck. The loco
motive, baggage car and postal car broke
away from the rest OF the train, passing
over the bridge in safety. The rest OF the
train was thrown from the rails and con-
tinued on the roadbed until it came near
the end Of the bridge, but there it ran over
White river, some Fifty feet below.
The gorge at this point is frightful, and
when the cars went down there was . terri.
BILE crash. As soon as possible the de-
tsched part OF the train was stopped and
ran back to the scene OF the disaster.
TIE GRoANs OF TIE INJURED
were heartrendins. Assistance also came
from people living in the vicinity, and every |
thing was lone to rescue and relieve tho
injured. Soon after help arrived it wis
discovered that a fire had started in the
first passenger coach, md soon the entire
train was ab|aze. thus adding a new hor.
rer 10 the already frigh,ful catastrophe.
Those present were powerless to stop the
fire and devoted Themselves entiraly to
attempting to rescue those imprisoned in
the wreck. The rescners met another and
UNEXPECTED OBSTACLE
in the heat. which had become 30 intense
that they we're Obliged to %relinQuish their
efforts to save the sufferers, and were com.
PEELED to retreat to T. place OF safety them.
co1,,nS nrl flpc r., haonYnM snn-SI1SnR md /
and hurror.stricken witnesses OF the awful
holocaust. In addition to this, and to add
to the horrors and suffering OF tho passsn-
gers, the weather was extremely cold, and
the heroic rescuers were hindered thereby
in their endeavors to rescue tho passengers.
No water could he obtained with which
to check or to extinguish the flames. Ice
was several inches thick on the river and
there were no appliances at hand to raise
it. Twenty-six persons, SO far as known,
were taken out alive from cars which were
burned. Two of these are understood to
be MI. Wesson, pistol manufacturer Of
Springfield, and e. Brockenbacks, brake
man, but they died DON after. The two
passenger coaches were well filled and every
berth in both sleeping cars were occupied,
and twelve in the one from Springfield,
making the total number OF passenger in
the wrecked cars about eighty. This will
probably make the total number dead be-
tween fifty and eixty. The bridge wassbe-
tween thirty and forty feet above the
water, which was covered with thick ice. |
making it probable that death resulted
from crushing and burning rather than
from drowning. Several were pennsd up
in the wreck who might have been rescued
alive. Brakeman Parker, who was on the
forward end OF the first passenger car,
felt the jar and saved his life by
jumping.
FIvE LADIES AMONG THEM.
Chas. NJ. Hosmer, OF Lowell. Massaehu.
setts, who was on the train, states he was
says: II can remember twsnty-one others
who wal in the car with mo. knew mono
OF them personally. There were i've ladies
among them. ! WAS awakened by tho
humping OF the car, then came crash and
all was darkness. When the relief train
from White River Junction reached the
wreck the progress of the flames had been
been destroyed. A few burning timber
were seen and the iron work Of the bridge
was scattered over the ice. The only house
near the scene was that OF farmer. The
list OF killed 80 far as learned is as follows:
Edward Bargs, brakeman, West Lebanon,
n. Y; F: L. Weston, Springfield, Mass;
s. S. Wescott. Burlington, VT; G.
Nulb, OHtdrlOS K. r. DlllOu, O0fC0OuCn /
College, h is n nephew Of Sidney
Dillon, OF New York. On the ice below the
bridge site are twenty-six charred and I'M.
recognizable bodies. Doubtless many wore
cremated. Central Vermont railroad
officials were at the rcene OF disaster at an
early hour and are doing every thing posi-.
bic to relieve the sufferers. The dangerous
" wounded are: Smith Sturlovant, con-
ductor, cannot live; @. Boisert, Angelina,
Quebec; L. Conebromsnt, M. Lacaillode.
Lawrence, Mass; Moses Pulet. Quebec;
Mrs. W. D. Drayden, Montreal; Geo. Con.
net. Syracuse, N. Y; Horace Juak, East
Ppdperl. Mass; Anna Murphy, Boston;
Henry Teu1bury, Randolph, Vt; Mrs.
Chas. Castnor, Boston; Katie Kahl, Bes
tan; j. c. Hutchison. Montgomery, w.;
J. E. Jacques, F%itchburg. Mass; Henry
Mott, Alburgh, Vt; Andrew Wheeler. Fitch
burg, Mass; Mrs. John Graham,
Medtord, Mass; John Kyler, Burk.
n. T.; c. M. Hosmer, Lowell,
Mass; Jas. Marauet, Three Rivers, Quebec.
The fOIlnwi,t0 Doreopo xvoro ol;ubf1v iniurod. l